


Party

by Dreizehn



Category: Code:Realize ～創世の姫君～ | Code: Realize - Guardian of Rebirth (Visual Novel)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-16 05:34:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13047537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreizehn/pseuds/Dreizehn
Summary: Impey suggests throwing a party, and Cardia finds the idea interesting do to having never been to one.





	Party

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jillyfae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jillyfae/gifts).



> This was rather fun to write and I hope I got the characterization correct. Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy!

It was sometime after the group had won that major race when Impey loudly whined, “I wanna party!” The proclamation was ignored by Lupin, Delly and Van who pretended they hadn't hear him, but Saint made an intrigued hum while Fran looked at him curiously.

“Party?” Cardia questioned curiously. She couldn't recall ever having attended something like that. Her poison made attending gatherings a rather difficult thing to do, and since she never particularly left the mansion before meeting everyone, she never got the chance. In truth she hardly knew what people did during them.

With renewed vigor from being acknowledged, Impey rapidly nodded his head. “Yes! We went through all that hard work to win that race, and not to mention all the other mess we've been getting into, and yet we haven't even thrown any kind of celebration!” He sounded oddly mad about the fact but Cardia couldn't understand why and found herself amused by Impey’s exaggerated antics.

Saint crossed his arms and nodded his head in agreement. “He does have a point,” he said, seemingly agreeing with Impey and garnering the attention of those who had been willfully ignoring the redhead. “It would be rather nice to throw a celebration of sorts, of course it would have to only consist of us.” Being the owner of the residence they were all living in, Saint’s input was practically a guarantee that this party was going to happen.

Which was probably why Lupin finally sat down the newspaper he had been intently examining and said, “Do we really have the time for that?” Lupin didn't sound all that fond of the idea, but Cardia personally thought it sounded fun.

“I… I think it's a nice idea,” Cardia said hesitantly.

She saw Lupin freeze before he suddenly stuttered out, “I...I guess it wouldn't be so bad.” She blinked unsure of why he would suddenly change his mind, but she wasn't going to complain about a good thing.

Van, who had remained silent throughout most of this, finally let out a sigh. “I suppose I could assist Impey with the cooking,” he offered. Causing everyone in the room to shake with dread.

Even now Cardia could still remember the horrid taste that had assaulted her taste buds the last time they had allowed Van to cook. The flavor was so awful that she wasn't even sure what he had made could be called food, and yet Van remained confident in his nonexistent cooking skills. She had to admit that she found it a little admirable.

Thankfully Impey quickly stepped in. “Actually I was hoping that you and Cardia could pick up all the ingredients I'll need!” He sounded nervous as he spoke which made Cardia chuckle in amusement.

With a nod of his head, Saint agreed with Impey. “I think that would be for the best. That way we wouldn't have to worry about anything happening.”

“I would like to join this shopping trip as well!” Delly declared excitedly. “I...I'd be worried if she was left alone with that brute for too long, is all!”

“Brute!?”

Fran laughed at the exchange before standing up from his seat. “I think that's a good idea.”

A triumphant grin made its way to Impey’s face and he giggled happily. “Alright then, let's get this started! Fran, there's something special I want you to do!”

Fran tilted his head curiously. “Something special?”

“Yes, something only you can do!”

Cardia watched the two wondering what they could be plotting. If it was something only Fran could do then that meant it had to involve alchemy in some way, but what could that have anything to do with a party? She decided to worry about it later and stood up.

She raised her hand when she was out of the chair to draw the attention of the others. “Are the expenses going to come from Impey’s share?” She asked, causing the redhead to freeze, before slowly turning to Saint with a pleading look in his eyes.

The count laughed before finally standing up as well. “For Miss Cardia’s sake, I'll fund this party.”

Lupin crossed his arms with a thoughtful look on his face. “If we're having a party then we're going to need some booze,” he mumbled quietly. However his words did not go unheard, as the count looked at him with intrigue.

“I think I can procure that.”

Fran furrowed his brow. “Would it be okay for Cardia to drink?”

Noticing she was the topic of the conversation, Cardia looked between the three in confusion. She could drink liquids perfectly fine, or was this some type of special liquid they were talking about?

Impey’s eyes gained a sparkle as he joined the conversation. “I'm kinda curious about what a drunk Cardia would be like.”

Van shot him a glare and huffed. “There's always the possibility the alcohol could make her poison stronger as well.”

Alcohol? Like the things you put on wounds? Cardia wracked her brain but only felt more confused as the guys continued to talk about this mystery liquid.

With a shake of his head Fran turned to face Van. “No, I don't think she would have such a negative reaction, but there's always the possibility of her becoming intoxicated and stripping…”

“A blissful death…” Impey mumbled, earning a glare from all the guys. Cardia however remained confused.

“Impey’s perversions aside, it should be safe to at least give her a small taste,” Lupin said.

Finally tired Cardia groaned. “What are you all even talking about?” She asked, annoyed that she was the topic of a conversation she couldn't even follow. Saint thankfully explained the situation to her.

“We're talking about an adult beverage that intoxicates you if you consume too much,” he explained, his smile gentle and understanding.

She nodded her head, then walked over towards Van. “Shall we head out?”

 

* * *

 

The streets of London were crowded as usual, but something about seeing the town bustling with life as the sun beamed overhead brought a smile to Cardia’s face. She giggled and held onto Delly’s hand as they walked alongside Van.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself,” he said, bringing her out of her fascination with the crowd. She looked up at him with a happy smile on her face and hummed in confirmation.

“I don't get to walk around this area very often, so it feels nice to stroll through.” Though she knew they weren't there just to explore, it was fun to just take in the sights. She thought it would probably be for the best if she tried to make the most out of their trip instead of thinking of it as a chore.

An amused huff escaped Van's throat but all he uttered was a small, “I see.”

Cardia giggled but said nothing about his response. It wasn't always easy to understand what Van was thinking, but she thought she was starting to understand at least a little about him. One such fact was that he wasn't always very honest with his feelings.

Once they reached one of the shops carrying some of the things they needed, Cardia peered at the list and furrowed her brows. There were some things on the list she didn't quite know by name, so she decided to consult Delly.

He hummed then nodded his head. “Oh yeah that's over here!” He grabbed her hand, which he had released, and guided her to the foods she couldn't identify.

By the time they finally got everything off the list and were headed back home, a few hours had passed, and Cardia found herself wondering what Impey was going to cook with all this. It seemed like a lot of stuff just for the seven of them, even though Delly usually did have a pretty big appetite. She eventually shrugged and decided to worry about it later.

 

* * *

 

Deep in an unexplored area of the mansion, Lupin and Saint stood in front of a door that lead to the basement. Despite all the various nooks and crannies Lupin had to explore in his ‘profession’, he found himself hesitating to open the door he never knew about before now.

“So that's… uh where the wine is?”

With a smile that seemed to never leave his face, Saint nodded his head. “Mm, there's a wine cellar down there.” He sounded amused by Lupin’s hesitation to explore this new area, which only served to make Lupin more afraid of what awaited him down below the dark corners of the basement.

He had read and seen enough horror stories to be just a little paranoid about entering a basement. Even if this was the basement of such a good friend, it would be a lie if he said he wasn't at least a little wry about the count's mysterious nature.

Shaking his head, Lupin decided he would swallow his fears and try not to worry about it. He could hold his own in a fight after all. There was absolutely nothing for him to be afraid of. With a renewed will, Lupin nodded his head then pushed the door open. It clearly hadn't been used in some time as it made a loud ominous squeak.

He stepped forward with determination and immediately missed the step and fell.

 

* * *

 

Upon stepping into the mansion, the first thing Cardia heard was a loud scream that sounded awfully like Lupin. She blinked in confusion then turned to Van and Delly, who could only shrug, just as lost on the situation as she was.

“I doubt it's anything serious,” Delly said, his voice certain. Though Cardia wondered if he really cared if it was serious, but they all knew how strong Lupin was, and Saint was with him. A part of Cardia wondered if maybe Saint was the very reason Lupin was screaming. He seemed to extract very extreme reactions from people when they were alone with him, so she decided there was probably nothing to worry about and shrugged it off.

The three headed for the kitchen, where they discovered Impey alone behind the counter with an apron around his waist. Cardia looked around for Fran but saw no sign of him in the kitchen.

“Oh Cardia! You're back,” Impey called as he turned away from the stove to face Cardia.

“Where's Fran?” She asked curiously as she proceeded to place the bags down on the counter.

“Huh… oh yeah he's probably in his room.” Impey grabbed a small plate of food off the counter by the stove then walked up to Cardia. “Though he hasn't come out in some time and it's been awhile since breakfast, so think you can bring this to him?” He asked.

A fond smile made its way to Cardia’s face. She thought it was nice that Impey was concerned about Fran’s health. Even though the guys often gave each other a hard time, she could tell that they truly cared about each other deep down.

She nodded her head and took the plate into her hands. “I can, but won't you need help with the food?” She asked. It seemed like a lot for one person to cook alone.

Before Impey could respond though, Van placed a hand on his hip and let out a huff. “I'll take your place Cardia, don't worry,” he said. She could tell he was trying to contain his excitement at the thought of assisting with the preparations for their dinner. It was almost cute but she couldn't help the feeling of dread knowing she would have to eat his cooking.

“Huh!?” Impey whirled around towards Van with wide-eyed panic. He clearly didn't expect the offer and looked more than a little afraid to turn him down. “N...no you don't have to…” He said. Hoping his words would deter Van from thinking he needed help.

Cardia giggled at the two, then turned to face Delly. “Can you help them out and make sure Van doesn't make anything deadly?” She asked quietly so that no one else could hear. She figured that maybe Delly could keep Van in check better than Impey could.

He looked hesitant but nodded his head in response to her words. “If that's what you want I guess I can try to help.”

She smiled and patted his head with her free hand. “Thank you, Delly.” She stood up, then headed out of the room, leaving a flustered Delly in the kitchen.

With a slight bounce to her steps, Cardia made her way down the hall to Fran’s room. She was enjoying herself today, even though they hadn't even started the party yet. The festivities of simply preparing and working together with everyone was an experience she didn't think she would ever get tired of.

When they would work together and combine all their skills to prepare for an operation, there was always the small bit of anxiety that bubbled up from knowing what they were preparing for was something dangerous, but this time they were doing all of this for a celebration. Something to have fun with.

She felt like she could just relax her mind and not worry about a thing. She made a turn down the hall and found herself wondering if Lupin was okay though. Even though she was certain the mansion wasn't being attacked, there was still a chance he could have hurt himself. However Saint was with him so she didn't think he could be too badly hurt.

Her thoughts halted when she noticed she had made it to Fran’s room, so she stopped in front of the door and knocked on it gently. It didn't take long for him to respond though he sounded a little preoccupied. “Yes?”

“Impey was worried you might be hungry and made you some food,” she explained behind the door as she waited for him to answer. “I have it for you here.”

She heard shuffling from the other side of the door, and waited as she started to wonder what Fran was exactly doing. Usually he would just let her walk in, but right now it felt like he didn't want her to come in. Were his activities some kind of surprise?

When he finally opened the door he only did so faintly, and also completely obscured the view of his room with his body. He was definitely hiding something, that much was certain, though what it was she wasn't quite sure about. She held the plate of food out towards him, and he accepted it with one hand.

“Thank you Cardia, but could you do me a favor?” He asked, causing her to tilt her head curiously in response. It seemed everyone wanted her to do something today. “I heard Lupin scream and I'm a little worried he hurt himself, so could you take this medicine to him?”

The request was simple enough, and she was already worried about Lupin herself so she had no reason to decline his request and nodded her head in affirmation. “I'll make sure he gets it; thank you Fran, for worrying about Lupin.”

Fran shook his head. “No need, we're all friends after all.”

“Fran…”

The two exchanged a smile before Cardia promised to return later and went on her way with the vial of medicine in hand. She hoped Lupin was okay.

It didn't take long for her to reach the basement entrance where she found Saint staring inside with an unveiled look of amusement on his face. It appeared as though whatever had happen, probably wasn't particularly urgent.

“Saint?” Cardia spoke as she approached him. He turned around with his usual smile plastered on his face, no sign of worry for Lupin anywhere.

“Good afternoon Miss Cardia.”

Casual and almost as if nothing even happened to Lupin. Cardia wasn't sure if she should be concerned or laugh. “Good afternoon… is Lupin okay?” She questioned and in response received a shrug from the count.

“I'm not sure… shall we check together?” He asked. His pleasant smile made it hard for her to say no, and, well, she wasn't too fond of the idea of tumbling down the staircase do to one misstep, so she took Saint’s outreached hand and allowed him to guide her down the stairs. There were more steps than she expected, but she felt they would reach the bottom soon enough.

“So how did Lupin fall?” Cardia asked curiously as they made their way down the steps. Saint chuckled in response to her question.

“He walked ahead before I could turn the lights on and slipped.” The cause was simpler than she expected but at least it didn't seem like Saint had pushed him off or anything amongst those lines.

“I...I see.”

They reached the bottom, where they found Lupin, half conscious. At the end of the steps. There were a few bruises here and there but he really didn't look like someone who had just tumbled down a staircase.

She crouched beside with the medicine vial in hand and held it out towards him. “Lupin are you okay? Fran made you some medicine…” She rubbed his shoulder gently, waking him slightly and bringing his attention towards her.

“Cardia?”

It took a good minute of coaxing him awake before finally she was able to get him to drink the medicine, after which he got up looking more defeated than ready to kill, like he had mere minutes before. Cardia smiled, pleased with herself. She felt relieved that Lupin was okay after all, even though she wasn't entirely sure just how fine he was.

He scratched his head then sighed. “Man, guess I'm gonna owe Impey and Fran now,” he mumbled, before he turned and looked at Cardia with a smile. “Thanks for delivering the medicine, it helped.”

“You're welcome,” she said with a smile. Though she didn't know why Saint didn't just ask for some and bring it to Lupin, but maybe he was too stunned by what had happened to think of that.

“Since we're all down here and Lupin is fine, why don't we retrieve them, then you can go and thank the others for their help,” Saint said. He earned a glare from Lupin for his words, making Cardia assume he was blaming the count for his little slip up.

Now that she didn't have Lupin to worry about, Cardia looked around and noticed there were many bottles of liquid on the shelves. It was definitely more than they could all drink in one night, that was for certain. Lupin stepped forward and Saint walked ahead of her towards one of the shelves, and she followed after them.

Saint grabbed one bottle then turned around and handed it to Cardia. “Three should do yes?” the count questioned with his usual smile. Cardia stood behind him feeling a little lost and confused. She didn't know how much of this stuff people usually drank but going from the size of the bottles, only three didn't seem like very much.

“Yeah should be fine.” Lupin said as he grabbed a bottle and Saint grabbed another as well. “Come on Cardia. Soon enough this party will be in full swing.”

She smiled and nodded her head before following the two out of the basement. She was excited.

 

* * *

 

After she helped Lupin and Saint bring the alcohol to the dining room, she returned to Fran’s room. He didn't take very long to open the door this time, and greeted her with a welcoming smile.

“Cardia...just in time,” he said as he stepped aside and gestured for her to enter the room. Clearly whatever he was trying to hide no longer needed to be hidden.

She entered his room and looked around out of curiosity but didn't spot anything out of the ordinary. She blinked in confusion, but when she turned to face Fran, he was holding some folded up material towards her. She tilted her head, but upon further inspection noticed that it was in fact clothes.

“Impey…he wanted me to prepare you some special clothes for the occasion, and I told him I couldn't possibly make anything that fast, but I remembered there was something I was already working on and- I hope you like it.” His smile turned sheepish and he fidgeted a little as he waited for her to accept the clothes.

She was at a loss for words though. Impey and Fran- everyone, they all showed so much care for her that she felt her chest swell and her body warm. She felt so happy she could cry. She was truly grateful for the life given to her by these men. “Thank you…Fran!” She said with a teary eyed smile.

Fran panicked briefly. He was taken off guard by the tears and didn't know what to do. Seeing him flounder around caused a chuckle to escape her throat. He stopped and looked at her in confusion, but simply nervously smiled, unsure of what else to do. “I'm happy you like it…Cardia.”

 

* * *

 

The party was in full swing when all the preparations were done and Cardia couldn't help but smile as she watched the guys chatter amongst themselves about various different topics, some of which she couldn't exactly follow, but had a good time regardless.

Everyone was surprised when Van's cooking was actually decent. They all assumed it was because of the combined efforts of Delly and Impey, so Cardia quietly thanked them both, away from the earshot of the others. Delly’s smile was faintly tired but proud, and Impey’s meanwhile was bright and gleeful.

Cardia didn't know much about parties, but if they were all usually like this, then she understood why Impey wanted throw one. Everyone was so lively and seemed to be enjoying themselves, as if all the stress of their lives was far in the past.

“Well since we've all had a bit to eat, why don't we have a few drinks!” Lupin announced. He sounded excited but Cardia felt a little anxious about having the drink.

She trusted her friends though, so she simply swallowed her fears and nodded her head as Fran poured a small amount in her glass. She stared at the red liquid, which almost resembled blood, and gulped before reaching forward and taking it into her hands. Slowly, she brought it to her lips and drank a small sip.

The taste was odd. It was only faintly sweet, and it caused her throat to become warm. She was also sure her poison was reacting to it in a strange way. “It's bubbling…” She mumbled. Then proceeded to drink a much larger swallow than before. “It feels nice.”

She smiled to herself, enjoying the odd feeling it gave her, and the strange reaction it was having to her poison. She barely noticed Fran approaching her and looking at her curiously. “Do you feel okay? Cardia?” He asked. His voice was dripping with concern.

With a big smile from the effects of the wine, she turned to him and nodded her head. “I feel all tingly inside.”

Something about her words seemed to have concerned Fran as he responded by easing the glass out of her hands and placing it on the table. “Cardia…I think you've had enough.”

She actually wanted to drink more but she trusted Fran’s judgment and begrudgingly resisted grabbing the drink again. They all smiled at her before Saint finally spoke up. “Well Miss Cardia. Did you like it?” He asked. His voice was curious and sweet as he spoke.

“I enjoyed it! The taste was nice!”

An almost mischievous hum came from Saint whose smile only grew. “That's good, then we'll all have to drink together again sometime.”

Cardia nodded her head enthusiastically and returned his smile.

 

* * *

 

Cardia sat outside and stared at the night sky with a content smile on her face. Everyone was starting to head to bed and the lively night had finally came to an end. She enjoyed the festivities and all the food. She even got to try a new drink she never had before. It would have been an understatement just to say she only enjoyed it.

Both the preparations and the party had been fun to her, even though she feared she wouldn't be able to stay with everyone for long. A part of her wished they could all stay together and that they could continue to do this kind of stuff. Cardia sighed to herself. It was probably just wishful thinking on her part.

“Did you enjoy yourself, Cardia?”A voice called. She turned to see Van approaching the bench she was sitting on, and seating himself beside her. She nodded her head in response to his question and saw a faint hint of a smile appear on his face. “Then it was worth it…”

Something about his words made her blink in confusion before she tilted her head and stared at him curiously. “What about you, Van? Did you have fun too?” She felt like it would be sad if he didn't have any fun while she and everyone else did.

Her question caused him to avert his eyes and cough awkwardly into his hand. “It wasn't bad…” He mumbled so low she could barely hear it, but she did and found herself smiling.

“Then that's good… because it means the party was successful.” She hoped deep down that it meant someday they could do it again, after everything was normal… though she wondered what even was normal for their group.

She heard him huff but her smile didn't fade. Van wasn't honest with his feelings at all.

“Thank you…Van.” Her words seemed to take him off guard. She could hear him grumble under his breath before he finally responded.

“...if there's anyone you should thank, it's Impey.”

“But I'm grateful to you too. For agreeing to join us and enjoying yourself today.”

Cardia couldn't see his expression very well in the dark, but she almost swore she saw a faint smile appear briefly on his face. “Thanks to you Delacroix has started to act more his age, so I'm the one who should be thanking you,” he mumbled quickly, avoiding her eyes all the while.

Her smile grew to an almost proud one, and she returned her gaze to the sky. She truly did hope that they could continue to do this kind of things together, and that the time would come where she could see Van smile brightly and earnestly.


End file.
